Sign



June 23, 1932- LErljlN (MAX) wEEsNER 1,864,702

SIGN

Filed March 1o, 1930 31a/vento@ L e/m (Max) Weesner 1, MQW

Patented June 28, 1932 PATENT OFFICE i LEHN (MAX) wEEsNEIt, orCINCINNATI, yoHIo SIGN A Application led March 10, 1930.' Serial No.434,551.

This invention relates to improvements in non-illuminated signsand hasfor an object the provision of an outdoor raised glass letter'sign whichprovides a substantially perm fect simulation of the heretofore longused and well-known raised and gllded wood block letter signs but whicheliminatesentirely the necessity for retouching or refinishing.

Another object is to provide a glass letter plate for this purpose whichis comparatively inexpensive to make and which is free from glare orhigh-lights which usually characterizes raised glassletters.

Another obj ect is to provide a sign having ;a metallic base stencilsheet which may be simply and expeditiously mounted and framed topresent the fiat plane surface usually found in the wood bacln'ng of thei raised wood block gilt letter signs.

These and other objects are attained by the means disclosed herein anddescribed in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows one form of the sign of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Y Fig. 3 is a further enlarged fragmental view taken on line 3-,3 ofFig. 1'.

Y Fig. 4 shows in perspective a section of an elongated sign of modifiedstructural detail.

Y In businesses of various classes it is cus-` for so many years as tono'w consider it a mark to the public. Certain chain stores also have astandard or uniform sign on every store in all citiesg- This particulartype of sign. therefore is considered a valuable asset to the businessand, regardless of the fact that these signs become weathered andrequire expensive repainting and regilding every year or two, their useis nevertheless continued. The present invention is directed to a signwhich is practically a perfect simulation of this well-known raised andgilded wood block letter sign but which nevertheless is made up entirelyof porcelain coated sheet metal and glass plates sothat it alwaysretains the appearance of a newly decorated sign of the old type. Incarrying out this `invention I have devised a transparent glass platewith thel individual letter or o character disposed thereon in reliefand carrying on its reverse face the metallic paint or coating of thedesired color`(e. g. gilt,

bronze, aluminum, etc.) in suc-hfashion as to presentthe characteristicappearance of the gilded raised wood letter. This characteristicappearance is notableV for the absence of the polished shiny appearanceordinarily found in glass or metal letters and presents a matte finishwhich avoids the mirror-like high-lights and glares. The gilded raisedwood letter has always been considered highly advantageous because ofits high visibility, without glare, regardless of the location of lightsource and angle of observation.` All of these advantageouscharacteristics are at- ;tgained in the glass sign letter of my inven-The glass plate 7 is of clear transparent glass andis of a sizesomewhat. greater than the areaof the stencil opening 8 in a metallicbackground 9. This provides a flange l0 land intermediate portions llall disposed in a common plane sothat their top faces may abut thebottom face l2 of the stencil base 9. The art of forming raisedglassletter plates of opal or translucent glass for use in illuminatedsigns is old and -wellunderstood The formation of the transparent letterplates of this invention is carried on similarly to the formation ofother raised glass letter plates. In order to provide the same dull nishappearance which results from an application of gilt, aluminum, paintand the like to wooden surfaces, the inner face of the raised portion 13of the plate 7 and a narrow margin extending onto the flange portionsl() and 11 is aluminum, and silver paints and in fact all of thosemetallic coating substance-s commonly used to reproduce the appearanceof metals. This coating is laid with or Without a preliminarytransparent size 1l which would be applied directly to the glass. Thegilding material is applied in a coating of suitable thickness .and insuch manner-as to insure a matte or dull appearance when viewed fromthe. exterior face 16 of the glass plate. This is done in theraseofgilding materials by Working the gilt into the sizing material or ontothe unsized inner face of the glass plate With the ends of the bristlesof a brush. ln the event gold-leaf is used it is applied Withoutburnishing sothat slight irregularities and tiny creases, etc., may bevisible from the outerfaceof the plate. v.Un top ofthe gilding materialis applied a coating of paint `which most closely approximates thecolorof the gildingmaterial. lnthe use of goldbronze abacking coat of brightyellow-paint is used. 'Thisperforms the yprimary .function offixing thegold bronze or other gilding'material in position and also deepens thecolor appearance thereof. rl`he effect of this issuchthat when lettersof the invention are mounted on a sign and are viewed'froma-shortdistance e. g. four feet or more the transparent- -glass is invisibleand the expected mirror-like.high-lightsare absent. f verthisdecorationcomprising the gilt lfand color paint 17 is applied a protactiveeoating18 of' preferably neutral coloredWhite lead base sothat a decoration onthe plate is thoroughly proofedV against moisture, and the elements. Iffdesired thek natural relative roughness due to `the graink and poresofthe Wood may be. further` enhanced by molding an1occasional orcontinuous irregularity 19 on the inner. face ofthe glass at thetime offormingthe plates. A sign comprising letters made up in this fashionlcan scarecely be distinguished from a newly decorated raised Woodletter. The body of the sign may be made up as shown in Fig. 1, whereinthe stencil plate or base 2.0l of sheet metal 'is first-*cut out withthe ysuitable stencilforms and the integral flanges 21 turned at asuitable angle and againl turned at 22 to provide a mountingflange 28.The corners 2l are butt-Welded and the entire base is dipped or coatedWith a vitreous coating such as enamel or porcelain. @n the inner faceare mounted suitable keepers 240 which cooperate ,with a resilient clip25 for holding the glass letter plates 7 in position With the raisedportion 13 protruding through the stencil slots and rendering themvisible from the outer face of the sign. Letterssuch as A, B, R, O,etc., which have a loose center portion are provided lfor, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2 by taking the cut out met-al plate 26 and attaching it tothe glass plate 7 by means of the bolt or nut 27 extending throughcoinciding perforations in the metal plate and glass plate. Theparticular'formation of the mounting clip forms no part of thisinvention and it may take any of a number of forms. Obviously anysuitable molding strip may be employed on the inner face of the base forholding the letter plates in position.

' F ig. l sho-Ws structural details ofv a simplified constructionwherein the stencil plate 9 has depending flanges 28 having perforationstherein and border angles 29 comprising an inverted U-shaped portion 30and an L-shaped portion 31 serve to hold the parts in position andprovide a. very rigid sign base Which is free from waves or Warps. ItWill be understood that the U-sha-ped portion() may have the free legdeeper thantlie leg orlliange 28 of plate 9 vso that the plate 9lmay berecessed from th-e top of the border 29. lt Will be understood thatinstead of providing perforar'- tions in theY flange 28 and the leg ofthe U- shaped member 30, spot-Welding may be resorted to with equal orsuperior-results.

V7What is claimed is:

1. A non-burned raised glass letter plate j simulating a giltV raisedWood letterjcomprising atransparent glass plate whaving a hollowcharacter formed in .relief` there,on,..aV coating of unburnishedgilding material on the inner face of the character' portion of theplate,vand a protective and positioningrcoating disposed over thegilding material;

2. As a nenr Yarticle of Amanufacture a Weatherproof: opaque raisedglass lettersimulating raised Woodletters and comprising a rectangulartransparent glassplate `having the desiredV character molded in reliefthereon, a non-mirroring coat 0f.,gilding,ma terial applied to theconcave surfaces of the plate and a protective and fixing coating oversaid coating of 'gilding material.

3. In a Weather proof non-illuminated sign simulating the .commonly usedAraised Wood letter sign, the combinaton of an enameled metal'sheethaving letter apertures stenvciled therethrough, transparent glassplates mounted on the reverse face of the sheet and having embossedletters. thereon extending through the apertures in the sheetya coveringof non-mirroring and unburned. gilding material onv the rear face of theembossed Vportion. of said glass plates and an opaque protective coatingdisposed over the'gilding` material.

4. Ina raised glass letter sign the combination of a metal border anglestrip having non-adj oining attaching flanges thereon, and a metalstencil base having a depending flange for attachment to one flange ofthe border angle strip, the remaining flange serving to mount the signupona surface. Y

5. In a raised glass letter plate for nonilluminated signs thecombination of aftrans- Vparent plate having a character molded inrelief thereon, a coating of unburned andnonmirroring gilding materialdisposed on the reverse side of the relief portion of said plate, acoating of Color material over said gilding material and aWeatherprooiing coating over the color material.

6. In the production of a Weatherproong glass sign letter in simulationof a gilded Wood block letter the combination with a transparent glassplate having a letter formed in relief thereon, a coating of gildingmaterial applied to the reverse face of the letter portion of saidplate, a color coating serving as a backing for the gilding material andheightening the eeet of the gilding material Where the gilding materialis sparse, and a heavy Weatherproofing coating Covering said lastmentioned color coating.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day ofMarch,

LEI-IN (MAX) WEESNER.

